The Old Republic: A Galaxy on the Brink
by The d20 Master
Summary: Ten years have passed since the treaty of Coruscant and the Galactic Republic exists in a state of cold war with the Sith Empire. Proxy wars, espionage and shadowy conflicts rule the galaxy as the two galactic powers maintain their fragile facade of peace. But in spite of this peace, powerful figures within the Empire seek a reignite the war that shattered the galaxy...
1. Chapter 1

"We're coming up on the Kleran system now." Trevin, the pilot, said. Reine leaned back in her seat at the helm of the _Defender_ class corvette, nodding to Trevin. She turned in her seat to look at Leopold Ebner, the senator from Ascinda. The old senator was stocky and ruddy, with slicked back white hair that made no effort to hide the increasing bald spot atop his head - it seemed that he chose to compensate for the lack of hair on top with the thick, absurd handlebar mustache that sat on his weathered face. Reine wondered if he thought the huge mustache would draw attention away from his similarly enormous red ears - probably not, she decided.

"Remember, senator, we're on a _diplomatic _mission here." She reminded him. He squinted at her with his beady black eyes, frowning irritably.

"Yes of course I remember that, Jedi. No angering the Sith and no risky statements." He said angrily.

"Good. We're trying to avoid a war right now, not start one." Reine said with a smile as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"If negotiations go sour, you understand that my first duty is to the senator and seeing to his safety, yes? I can't be responsible for you two." Came a deep voice from the corner of the bridge. Reine first looked to her apprentice, Tanalia, and then to the man who had spoken.

"We understand, Captain Rostoni." Reine said, nodding to the trooper. He seemed to be more directing his statement to Tanalia as he was looking in her direction. The slim, pale red-headed girl returned his gaze, nodding at him. The two looked at each other for a few moments silently and Reine noted a degree of discomfort behind Tanalia's blue eyes before her cheeks reddened and she looked away from the soldier.

"I'm sure that Master Bi will keep us safe if the need arises." Reine jested to break the silence. Tanalia looked gratefully to her and smiled. Reine returned the smile before scowling as Leopold opened his mouth to speak.

"You know, I don't even know what the point of this negotiation is. We can fight a damned war, we did it before! Twenty-eight years that one lasted, _glorious _it was! Back in my day, men knew how to fight and how to respond to wanton Sith aggression! Twenty-eight years, I said, twenty-eight years of fighting in which the Republic DID NOT WAVER! Not until that damnable treaty and now our economy is in a sorrier state than a crippled gundark trapped at the bottom of the spice mines of Kessel!" He ranted.

"I'm sure you're right. All the same-" Reine began before rolling her eyes as the senator interrupted her.

"And don't even get me STARTED on the state of the military! Pah, it's pathetic! Back then, we had _discipline! _Strength! A real purpose! Now what is it? A bunch of schoolboys and aristocrats running around playing at being warriors! Why, if we went to war with the Sith now the only reason we'd lose is because of the complete lack of standards from our commanders! Pah, if they let me have a chance at reorganizing it, I'd show those Sith bastards what's what, I tell you!" He continued, seemingly oblivious to the soldier standing two meters away from him who was charged with keeping the obnoxious old man alive. The captain's mouth twitched, but he otherwise seemed not to notice what was being said.

"Fascinating. So, um, I really want to stop listening to you now, Senator, so I'm going to go brief my Padawan." Reine said, standing up and motioning for Tanalia to follow her. Reine had never seen the girl stand up so quickly and the two left hastily to avoid any more of the senator's ravings.

* * *

**Neutral Mining Station, Kleran system**

Darth Vilanos and Drakaal strode down the ramp of their shuttle, Vilanos striding purposefully past the hangar guards with Drakaal close behind. Vilanos, a human, was tall, lanky and wrinkled, with wispy white hair, cracked pale skin and his eyes were a dull sulfuric colour. Drakaal, meanwhile, was a Sith pureblood - he had fiery red skin, brightly glowing yellow eyes, two tentacles extending from his cheekbones down past his chin, a bald head and a long scar stretching diagonally across his nose. While Vilanos was slim, Drakaal was immense, towering over the older Sith and maintaining a broad, muscular physique. Both men were dressed all in black, with Vilanos wearing flowing robes and a cape while Drakaal wore a cape over his bulky black body armour.

The men were accompanied by a compliment of five Imperial marines, who marched in perfect unison and formation behind the two Sith. The two walked through the halls of the station, completely silent but for the pounding of their boots. They stopped at the door to the conference area as a guard raised a hand, looking slightly uncomfortable at their presence. Drakaal flashed the man a malicious half smile, revealing a brilliant set of white teeth and incredibly long, sharp canines.

"Please wait a moment, my lords." The man activated his comms, letting whoever was on the other side know of their arrival, then stepped aside quickly and avoiding eye contact with Drakaal. The doors slid open and they entered. For a moment, the room was devoid of occupants, with a long, empty table surrounded by chairs being the only defining features. Then, another door hissed open and a rust coloured protocol droid entered.

"Greetings. I am L3-SN, your service droid for this evening. The officials have not yet arrived, but I have been instructed to make you comfortable. Please, take a seat. Would you care for refreshments?" The droid said in a pleasant but hollow tone.

Darth Vilanos smiled wide as he handed the protocol droid his cape, taking in the small conference room as if he were returning to his office at home. Drakaal did not so much as acknowledge the droid and took in the décor as well, sneering a little at how plain it appeared.

"This is pitiful. Not even a bit of plush or comfort for foreign dignitaries?" Drakaal kicked one of the chairs back and plopped into it, swinging his feet up onto the table until Darth Vilanos snatched one booted foot and flung it off.

"Let us get one thing straight here, Drakaal." He fully faced the pureblooded sith, a calm demeanor with annoyance bubbling just beneath. "You are here as my bodyguard, not as a fellow diplomat. Speak out of turn, or sour my position at the table and the council will hear every word of your failure at so simple a task. Do well, and you will be rewarded as always." As soon as Vilanos stopped speaking, Drakaal shot from his seat, his instant burst of anger nearly overcoming his faculties before he stopped himself. For a moment he remained staring at his counterpart, as if weighing the pros and cons of simply stabbing the old wizard right then and there. In the end, the warrior let out an explosive sigh and sat back in his chair looking almost bored.

"Very well, Vilanos. We'll do it your way." Drakaal gave a wide, uncomfortable smile that showed no happiness but for the look of a man ready to commit murder. The protocol droid looked blankly between the two Sith, silent for a while.

"If the accommodations are not to your liking, I can find some cushions." It said cheerfully. Moments later, another droid entered the room, silver in colour and carrying a tray of drinks.

* * *

**The Kleran system**

Reine and Tanalia entered their shared bedroom and Reine sighed, walking over to her bed.

"What a man." She muttered.

"He seems like an idiot, Master. Why is he a senator?" Tanalia asked. Reine shrugged and opened up the wooden chest at the foot of her bed. She began to undo the fastenings of her robe and Tanalia turned away politely.

"They say he's a great military genius." Reine said.

"Really?" Tanalia replied, disbelief evident in her voice. Reine laughed.

"I doubt it. But he led a division of troops to victory when the Sith attacked Ascinda, so their king rewarded him by making him a senator." She answered, shedding her plain Jedi robe and stretching for a moment before reaching down and pulling out a pale blue dress and a pair of high heels.

"Right. You mentioned that Master Bi would be there, Master?" Tanalia asked. Reine nodded.

"He will, yes. Grand Master Shan didn't think the Sith would be open to negotiations if we didn't send someone important and, well... You've seen Senator Ebner." Reine said, dressing herself. Tanalia giggled.

"I see. So, he'll be arriving after us?" She questioned.

"Yes. He's coming in from the Outer Rim, but he shouldn't be too far behind. How do I look?" Reine answered, turning to look at Tanalia. Tanalia looked at her and her eyes widened.

"That is... Revealing." Tanalia said meekly. It certainly was, though not to the extent that Tanalia seemed to think - the neckline of the dress dipped sharply, showing her sternum and a great deal of cleavage, and the left side of the dress exposed her leg, but it was otherwise a rather practical design, with a pale belt as part of the outfit so she would have something to carry her lightsaber on.

"That's sort of the point. It's easier to negotiate with the kind of men that the Sith like to send to these things when I wear this than if I wore that plain old Jedi robe." Reine replied, looking up at Tanalia. It felt strange to look up at someone half her age - Tanalia was only of an average height and of slight build to boot, but Reine was very small in stature, barely standing taller than five feet.

"But... It doesn't look very... Practical, if we end up in a fight." Tanalia commented, embarrassed.

"Well then, I'll try to avoid starting a fight." Reine replied, smiling. "You'll have to change, too. I prepared something for you."

"Uh, Master, I'm not wearing something like that." Tanalia exclaimed, backing away a step. Reine laughed.

"Don't worry, it's not that bad. We just need to turn up the charm a little, I'm not planning on dressing a child like this." Reine assured her, patting Tanalia on the arm.

"Hey, I'm not a child!" Tanalia said indignantly. "I'm seventeen!"

"Yeah, so you just admitted you're a child." Reine smiled and reached into the chest once more. She pulled some clothes out and handed them to Tanalia, before looking away to give her some privacy. After a little while, Tanalia spoke.

"I'm done. It shows off my... Everything." Tanalia said. Reine turned around to look - the girl was dressed in slim, well fitted brown pants and a sleeveless white shirt that exposed her midriff. Nothing too suggestive, but enough to lower the Sith's guard.

"It really doesn't. Now, to more serious matters." As Reine spoke, her smile faded. "Don't think that because I've dressed you up that you'll be taking part in these negotiations. You are my Padawan and must be seen as such. These are dangerous people and you will be way out of your depth if you try anything. Understood?"

"Yes, Master. I just don't understand why we're having these negotiations anyway. They attacked a Republic world."

"A neutral world. And we're negotiating because the Republic isn't ready for another war. Even if it was, I'd try to avoid it. Now, listen, when we get to the negotiating table, you smile, you introduce yourself and then you keep your mouth shut. Just stand there and look pretty, speak only when spoken to. Leave the important matters to the senator and... Leave them to me and Master Bi, alright?" Reine explained. Tanalia nodded. "And, one last thing..."

"Yes, Master?"

"If things go poorly, if we have to fight, don't try anything. You aren't anywhere near ready to fight Sith Lords, so let me and Master Bi do the fighting. Escape with Senator Ebner, the captain will keep you safe."

"But Master, I can-" Tanalia protested, but Reine rose up a hand to silence her.

"No buts. Just do as I tell you." She said. Tanalia nodded, sighing. The intercom crackled and the two listened.

_"This is your pilot speaking, we've just come out of hyperspace and are on approach to the mining station. Sit tight, things will be a bit bumpy." _Came the voice of Trevin. Reine smiled and embraced Tanalia for a moment.

"Come on, let's go make sure the senator doesn't try and get us all killed."

* * *

As the corvette touched down in the hangar of the station, Reine looked at Leopold.

"Remember, Senator Ebner. Try to talk as little as possible and leave the negotiations to Master Bi and myself. You're just here to give an official senatorial stamp." Reine warned, her voice low. Leopold huffed, crossing his arms.

"As you wish." He said reluctantly. As the ramp began to lower, the captain entered.

"Captain Rostoni, would you care to make sure everything is clear?" Reine asked. He nodded and inclined his head to the two Republic troopers with them.

"Wish me luck." He said to Tanalia, winking and putting his helmet on as he and the troopers left. "All clear!" He yelled a moment later. Reine, Tanalia and Leopold exited the ship, looking around at the sparse hangar. A man in black clothing approached, heraldry indicating he was part of the security personnel of the station.

"Greetings, Senator Ebner, Master Rollan." The man said.

"I'm no master." Reine said, smiling. "But I thank you anyway."

"I see, my apologies. The Imperial delegates have already arrived. I believe there was mention of a third Jedi?" The man said.

"Master Bi, yes. He should be arriving soon." Reine said. As if on cue, an alarm sounded in the hangar and a sleek starfighter flew through the energy field separating them from the vacuum of space. It touched down and as the cockpit opened, a purple skinned Nautolan in Jedi robes leapt out, his inky black eyes looking around. He smiled when he saw Reine and approached, the immense man crouching down and embracing her.

"Reine!" He said in a deep, booming voice, pulling away and beaming at her, the tentacles sprouting from the back of his head swaying gently as he rose back to his full height.

"Master Bi. It's good to see you." She replied with a wide smile.

"And you as well, it's been far too long. You look stunning! Though I do hope that the years have rendered you more able to resist the urge to slip out of these fancy dresses of yours whenever a handsome young man looks your way?" Brentus said, his booming laugh echoing through the hangar. She hesitated, a wry grin on her face.

"A little. In any case, the Sith have already arrived. We should go greet them."

"Indeed." Brentus responded, looking at the security trooper. "Well, lead on, man." The man nodded, turned on his heel and led them from the hangar. As they made their way to the conference room, Reine nudged Tanalia.

"Remember, speak only when spoken to." She whispered. Tanalia nodded nervously, not replying. Soon after, they found themselves at a door with a guard standing by. The security trooper nodded to the guard and he stepped aside, allowing them access. The door slid open and they entered, Reine in the lead. Her eyes fell on the two Sith in the room.

One of the Sith, she recognised from past dealings - the venerable and charming Darth Vilanos, who sat on the Dark Council and served as the Empire's chief diplomat. The other one, the pureblood Sith, she did not recognise. Both Sith were seated - the pureblood atop several plump cushions. Vilanos rose to his feet when he laid eyes on Reine, smiling broadly.

"Master Reine! Ah, a pleasure as always, my dear." His demeanor was more akin to a grandfather than a powerful sith lord. He glanced briefly at the other Sith, who was currently leering at both Jedi women with a sharp-toothed grin.

"Lord Vilanos, thank you." She said, smiling. "Once again, I must remind you I have yet to be graced with the title of Master, but I thank you regardless. This is my Padawan, Tanalia Farbur. I don't believe you two have been acquainted." Reine continued. Tanalia gave a small wave and avoided eye contact with either Sith, especially the pureblood Sith. "And this is Senator Leopold Ebner and Captain Wes Rostoni, our security. And of course, my former master and member of the Jedi High Council, Master Brentus Bi." She said.

"It is good to meet you, Lord Vilanos." Brentus said, stepping forward and stretching out his hand. Vilanos nodded through the introductions and ignored the Nautolan's outstretched hand, simply gawking at Reine.

"They still have not raised you yet, Child?" He asked incredulously, briefly glancing over at Master Bi as if it were personally his fault. "I tell you the fools don't appreciate you, My Dear." After finishing, he finally accepted the handshake of Brentus, giving him a cold look of distrust while doing so. "A pleasure, all of you. This is my Council appointed bodyguard for the evening, Lord Drakaal." The Darth's words were followed by a simple nod from Drakaal, who did not bother to stand up.

"If it were up to me, Lord Vilanos, she would have a seat on the Council. Sadly, it's not up to me." Brentus commented. Reine smiled and Vilanos opened his mouth to speak, but Reine cut him off.

"Shall we sit down?" She suggested.

"Yes, that sounds like a marvelous idea." Leopold said. "I keep explaining, it's hard to stay standing with my leg being the way it is;" He began, banging his fist on his left leg to reveal a clanging sound. "But the Senate, it's all platforms with no chairs! You'd think they would show respect to a war veteran!"

"No, I suppose they wouldn't, would they." Vilanos replied cryptically, shooting a look at Reine that spoke volumes on his opinion of that. He too sat down when asked, taking the seat directly opposite the opposing delegation. "Now, my dear Reine, to what does the Empire owe the honor of this call to diplomacy?" Reine sighed as she took a seat and the rest of the company did so, all except for Wes and his two troopers, who stood at attention opposite the five Imperial marines in the room.

"Nasty business, but we have to talk about it. The recent attack on Alderaan by Imperial troops has caused... Controversy in the Senate." She explained. Leopold scoffed.

"Controversy? It's a blatant act of war and the Senate recognises it! Personally, I don't know why we're even having these talks in the first place and not just taking the fight to these Imperial scum!" He bellowed. A moment later, his eyes widened and he glanced nervously at Vilanos and Drakaal. "Present company excluded, of course."

Vilanos eyed the loud old man carefully for a moment after he spoke, long enough that it almost became uncomfortable before turning back to Reine. "Frankly my dear, the Empire has no knowledge of the assault on Alderaan."

"Preposterous!" Leopold yelled. "Why, I heard-"

"Senator." Brentus said quietly. "Shut up."

"My apologies for Senator Ebner's behavior, Lord Vilanos. He's a bit jumpy at the best of times. And ought to remember that he was given clear instructions by the Chancellor to leave the bulk of the talking to _us_." Reine said, her voice souring when she addressed the senator. "He is right, however. We have proof that Imperial forces are involved. Captain?"

Wes stepped forward, pulling a small holo-projector from his belt and putting it on the table. It activated and a moment later, projected the hologram of a soldier in Imperial armour running, firing a blaster as he went. He continued running and shooting and the image of a soldier of House Organa appeared next to him, striking the Imperial with an electro-staff. The hologram then cut off. Vilanos and Drakaal eyed the hologram silently, the older Sith lacing his fingers together.

"This recording was taken three days ago on Alderaan." Reine explained. "As you can see, the man is clearly wearing Imperial armour." Vilanos was silent for a moment.

"Indeed he was. But if you'll play it back and watch carefully..." He said. Reine nodded to Wes, who pushed a button. The recording began to play again. "He bears no Imperial iconography. It's a band of deserters with a personal stake in the civil war, I'd wager."

"That's certainly a possibility." Brentus mused, stroking his chin. "But our intelligence suggests that a Sith Lord is at the head of this invasion, with a small fleet. Hardly the resources you'd expect a small band of deserters to have."

"Indeed?" Vilanos raised an eyebrow at the Jedi Master, his voice sounding almost playful as they spoke of death and destruction. "My sources say there are several force sensitives in the fray on both sides. Can you provide a name for this Sith Lord? If so, the empire will endeavor to do what it can in to rein him in. As of this moment, however, no one in that conflict has the approval of the Dark Council to act."

"But why would any Sith act without permission from the Dark Council?" Tanalia asked suddenly. Reine shot her a venomous glance and then looked back to Vilanos.

"Many reasons, I suppose. Glory, wealth, a grudge." She explained.

"Your master is correct, Padawan. Sith pursue our own destiny. We do not sit idle and let our lives pass us by, like some would prefer." Vilanos cast a smile at Reine as he spoke, before falling silent to let her reply.

"I hope you are true to your word, Lord Vilanos. It is not the policy of the Republic to get involved in the internal conflicts of neutral worlds and I should hope that the Empire holds a similar position."

"I'm afraid I cannot speak for the Dark council's policy on individual planets and their political strife. I can, however, say that the council does not take upstarts lightly." He replied.

"I hope not. Because if you do not act to rein in this 'upstart', then the Republic will have to intervene to ensure the outcome of the civil war on Alderaan remains unaffected." Reine said brazenly. The smile fell from Vilanos' face and he leaned forward slightly.

"If the Republic is seen to intervene on Alderaan, the Empire would have no choice but to step in. We cannot allow such an advance towards our systems to be unanswered. You understand."

"Of course. For the time being the Republic has chosen patience to allow the Dark Council time to rein in this rogue Sith." She answered graciously.

"Be warned, though, that if you don't do so in short order we'll have no choice but to act. It's an attack on our interests as well should Imperial forces advance like that, whether or not they have permission from the Dark Council." Brentus said with a frown.

"Indeed! You speak of advances upon your systems, but if this Sith is not dealt with then you are just as culpable as we would be! I advise you to get in contact with this Dark Council of yours and tell them to deal with this problem immediately!" Leopold interjected. Reine sighed, massaging her temples with her thumb and forefinger as he blustered.

"You don't get to make demands of the council, worm." Drakaal spoke for the first time, his eyes alight with distaste for Senator Ebner.

"Drakaal? Kindly refrain from opening your mouth again." Darth Vilanos replied smoothly, like a teacher with an especially thick headed student. "As I said, this assailant has not been identified. You may continue to claim it is a Sith, but I have seen no proof. Nor have I seen any reports on Jedi being in the fighting. It appears all is well, from my standpoint."

"All is well?" Leopold cried, rising from his seat and slamming his hands on the table. "You Imperial dogs have invaded a neutral world in BLATANT violation of the treaty of Coruscant and you ought to pay for it!" He roared. Vilanos remained seated, looking up at the senator with a bored smirk.

"You can howl all you want. It proves nothing." He replied coolly.

"I suggest we take a few minutes to calm down." Reine said, breathing deeply. "This has devolved to accusations and insults and we've yet to get anywhere with the negotiation. I'd like some time to gather my thoughts."

"Of course, my dear. In fact, I had need to speak with you on a personal matter when you are able." Vilanos added in for her. "We shall remain here until you are ready." Reine nodded in thanks and rose to her feet. Tanalia followed suit and the two left together, with Brentus, Leopold and Wes leaving not long afterwards with the soldiers in tow. Reine led Tanalia into a small, closed room off to the side, closed the door and then whipped around, looking absolutely livid.

"That outburst will be your last for today, understood?" She snapped. "I have enough trouble managing the Sith as it is with Senator Ebner, I don't need to worry about you drawing unwanted attention to yourself."

"But Master, I was just asking a question." Tanalia said defensively.

"I don't care. Did you see how he pounced on you when you spoke? Trying to manipulate you with praise of how the Sith live their lives, it's disgusting. You are not to say another word during these talks, or else this is the last diplomatic mission I take you on." Reine commanded. Tanalia frowned, confusion evident in her face.

"But how am I to learn how to be as good as you if I can't speak?" She asked.

"By watching. The Sith are not the kind of people you want to be trying to best without plenty of experience, my very young apprentice." Reine said, sighing. "Just... Don't do anything stupid. Come on, let's get something to drink."

* * *

"I think you got under their skin, old man." Drakaal chuckled from where he sat, watching the door they'd left through.

"That's Darth Vilanos to you, boy. And yes, I did. Though not for the reason you think. And before you decide to pull that saber from your belt, think long and hard on it." The older Sith's words snapped Drakaal's head around instantly, his eyes going wide in surprise and anger as they both rose to their feet.

The two Sith stood across from each other, each one eyeing the others hands in case they went for the saber at their belt. "What are you talking about, old man?" Drakaal said carefully.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy. I'm not so blind and foolish as to think the council would send you, a warrior untrained and uninterested in politics as my bodyguard for this mission. You are here for something else. Whatever the reason, keep that blade low until the talks are over." Vilanos spoke carefully, his hand hovering over the hilt of his saber. Drakaal remained silent for a moment, glancing between Vilanos' eyes and his saber.

"That would defeat the purpose." Drakaal spoke quietly, his hands at his sides but his muscles tense, a sinister smile on his face.

* * *

As Reine and Tanalia joined the rest of their entourage in a small cantina, the Knight strode over to Master Bi to speak with him in private. Tanalia stood leaning against a wall, silent and staring into her drink.

"Hi." Came a deep voice from next to her. She started, nearly spilling her drink as she looked to see that it was the captain, his helmet removed.

"Hello." She greeted uncertainly as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall.

"One hell of a game we just saw there." He said.

"Game?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Wes nodded.

"This whole thing, it's a game. A game of words. That Sith? He's winning." He explained.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Master Rollan has been doing this for a long time." Tanalia said pridefully. Wes smiled.

"He's been doing it longer. And now he knows what gets under your master's skin. You." He explained. She looked confused and so he elaborated. "When you're there, she doesn't just need to worry about talking, she needs to worry about you, if you're gonna make another outburst, get that Sith guy focusing on you so he can get into your head. I have to say, if she had to pick someone to get so concerned over, she picked the right person."

"I don't... He can't get into my head." Tanalia protested indignantly. He smirked.

"It's a compliment. I'm saying that you're worth being worried about. I mean, look at you." He said, looking down at her body and then into her eyes. Her face went bright red and she drained her drink rapidly, choking on it. When she recovered her composure, she rapidly changed the subject.

"The senator! How'd you come to work for a guy like that?" She almost yelled. He laughed.

"I don't work for Senator Ebner. I work for the Republic. I've been given orders to make sure he survives this if anything goes wrong and orders are orders, regardless of what I think of the man."

"It must be difficult, having to see to the safety of a man like that."

"It's not so bad, usually I have to..." He trailed off as the the comm link on his wrist blinked. He raised it to his mouth, pushed the button and spoke into it. "What's the situation?" He listened to the reply and nodded. "I'll be right there." Then, he looked to Tanalia. "We'll finish this conversation later, yeah? Go be with your master."

"Alright. Goodbye." He nodded and walked off, helmet under his arm and his hand on the blaster pistol at his side. Tanalia looked after him uncertainly, feeling a brief sensation of relief... And yet also worry. She looked at Reine and Brentus - they were talking in hushed tones. She strained to listen - she didn't hear much, but she caught the name Drakaal. Something about him being less of a challenge. She inched closer, leaning in and hoping to avoid being spotted.

"Before we resume the talks, I should speak with Grand Master Shan. My ship does not have long range..." She heard Brentus say softly.

"Go to the corvette, the pilot should be able to get you in contact with Tython." Reine said. Brentus nodded and walked out of the room. Reine stood still for a moment, taking in a deep breath before turning to Tanalia. Tanalia hastily looked away, trying to seem uninterested. She heard a chuckle from Reine. However, suddenly, she felt something... Anger. Darkness. Reine stopped laughing and approached her. Tanalia dropped all pretense of disinterest, looking apprehensively at Reine.

"Do you feel that, Master?" Tanalia asked. Reine nodded, looking in the direction of the conference room with concern.

"The Force moves darkly around people who mean to kill. You may have need of your saber, my young apprentice."

* * *

Brentus strode up the ramp of the corvette and looked around. He heard hushed voices from the bridge and approached, wary. When he arrived, he found Wes standing next to the seated pilot. The pilot, a tall, semi-muscular man with sandy hair glanced at him and flinched.

"That is a fish man. With tentacles." He said. Wes sighed.

"Besides the point, really. You're absolutely certain that's what it says, Swift?" He asked. Brentus frowned in confusion and approached.

"What what says?"

"Word from Alderaan. The Imperials have bombarded the Organa compound and seem to be preparing for an even greater assault than before." The pilot elaborated.

"Is that all?" Brentus asked. The pilot shook his head.

"They've sent both a formal request to the Republic for intervention, and a general distress signal. That's why I'm getting the message too." He said.

"This is bad news. Still, there's nothing we can do about it right now. Can you get me a link to Tython?" Brentus asked.

"Oh, sure thing, fish dude. The first thing they build into these Jedi ships is communications strong enough to contact your council anywhere in the galaxy. Follow me, I'll take you to the extra long range transmitter in the back." He replied. The pilot stood up and led Brentus to the other side of the corvette, into the rear conference room. In the center of the room was a large holoterminal, no doubt with a signal strong enough to extend across the galaxy.

"This will do nicely, thank you." Brentus approached the holoterminal, looking at it uncertainly. The pilot half ran up to it and bent down.

"Tython is the most common place we talk to so we've got a direct link to them, just one push of this here button." He explained absentmindedly, pushing a button on the side of the holoterminal. The beginnings of a hologram flickered into life. It continued to flicker and sputter, making a crackling noise. Brentus frowned. Whatever the distance to Tython, it shouldn't have been taking so long to project a hologram. It continued to flicker and crackle.

"Hey, why ain't it working?" The pilot asked in confusion as he rose to his full height. Brentus was silent for a moment, before stepping forward and cutting off the attempted transmission.

"It would appear that communications are being jammed."

* * *

"Senator, I think we'll return to the conference room soon." Reine said, glancing at Leopold. He frowned.

"But Master Bi and Captain Rostoni aren't back yet."

"We're not resuming the talks without Master Bi, don't worry. As for the captain, he's just here for security. We can defend you if the Sith try for murder." Reine responded, slightly amused. "But in all honesty, I don't trust the Sith to be left alone for too long."

"Don't worry, Senator." One of the troopers said, laughing. "We'll be there to defend you while the captain attends to his business." Suddenly, the sounds of a door opening were audible and they could all hear Darth Vilanos talking.

"Refreshments are starting to sound just perfect, right about now. Would you care for some?" He said pleasantly. Though it was less audible, Reine could just make out Drakaal's ominous reply.

"If you aren't back in two minutes, plans will change." Moments later, the sound of a door closing was followed by footsteps. Vilanos emerged in the entry to the cantina and immediately approached Reine, worry and fear written across his face.

"My Dear, I'm afraid I need to borrow you from your Padawan. Now." He said sharply. Reine hesitated and Tanalia glanced between the two worriedly.

"Master?" She asked nervously, covering her chest and face with her arms.

"Stay with the senator, Tanalia. I won't be long." She assured her apprentice, before striding over to one of the troopers, putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning in next to his ear. "If anything happens to her, I will end you." She warned. The trooper nodded, a mixture of amusement and fear on his face. When Reine was satisfied, she walked back to Vilanos and followed him to a side room.

"What seems to be the problem, Lord Vilanos?" She asked.

"I haven't much time, my dear, so listen closely. The man accompanying me was not sent here to be a bodyguard. He can, and will, kill your entire delegation once he decides the time is right." Vilanos looked over his shoulder at the conference room. Reine could feel the surge of anger and irritation growing from the conference room. "I tell you this because I do not wish him, or his leash holder to win by default. Gather your apprentice and go for your ship, I will-" the conference room door sliding open interrupted him, and Drakaal strode through, unlit saber in on hand.

Reine stared calmly at Drakaal, slowly kicking off her shoes and sliding them to the side with her foot as she drew her own saber, not lighting it but keeping it ready as she turned on her side and took a defensive stance.

"Ah, wonderful to see you. I trust you'll allow me to pass through that door." She said, almost as if he weren't about to brutally murder them. Drakaal glanced at the Jedi woman once, then focused his attention back on Darth Vilanos, ignoring her entirely. His facial expression never changed from blank.

"So you would rather defect than accept your fate?"

"I will always be loyal to the empire, Lord Drakaal. But my usefulness has not run it's course. I will not go quietly." Vilanos replied defiantly. Reine looked between the two Sith cautiously, inching her way around them towards the door. As she moved, Drakaal turned his gaze to her. In that instant of distraction from Vilanos, the older Sith thrust out his hand towards Drakaal, eyes glowing purple. They both stood stock still for a moment, before Drakaal began to breathe heavily. His eyes went wide as if he could see something nobody else could and he backed away, panting heavily.

"Run, Reine!" Vilanos called, focusing intently on the other Sith and on the phantasm he was weaving. Reine did not wait, sprinting past Drakaal and back into the cantina. Tanalia looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"What happened?" She asked.

"No time to explain just now. We need to get to the corvette right now." Reine replied. Tanalia clearly wanted to press the matter but Reine simply turned on her heel and strode off.

"Why are you barefoot, Miss Rollan?" Leopold said, frowning as he walked after her.

"You try running in heels, Senator. See how far it gets you." She responded tartly. As they left the cantina and headed back towards the hangar, there was a loud crashing noise from the room with the Sith. Then came the sound of pounding footsteps and the group broke into a run. The sound of footsteps drew closer and the two troopers skidded to a halt, drawing their blasters as they turned back.

"Go! We'll hold him off!" One of them yelled. Leopold kept moving without hesitation, albeit slowed somewhat by his prosthetic left leg. Reine and Tanalia hesitated for a moment, but then Drakaal rounded the corner, both blades of his saberstaff activated. They sprinted after Leopold as the troopers began firing. The door to the hangar was within reach and the three of them ran at top speed. Blaster fire echoed through the hallway until it was silenced by the buzzing of a spinning lightsaber and the screams of the troopers. There was a thudding noise and then the pounding footsteps continued, but Reine, Tanalia and Leopold did not look back.

Leopold was lagging behind as they moved, breathing heavily and sobbing in terror as Tanalia attempted to drag him along behind her.

"We won't make it! Not like this, oh, not like this!" He cried.

"Master, I can't make it with him!" Tanalia screamed desperately, stumbling. Reine turned her head, seeing Drakaal sprinting after them with a snarl - he was only ten meters behind Tanalia and Leopold. She raised her hand, lifting the senator and hurling him through the door as Tanalia regained her footing and bolted. Reine continued running, making it through the door. A second later, Tanalia followed and Reine slammed her hand on the pad by the door, causing it to shut. There was a loud crashing and a roar of frustration from the other side. Immediately, Reine pushed a button, locking the door.

"How dare you toss me like that?" Leopold barked indignantly. Tanalia sank to her knees, gasping for air and sitting back against the door. And then, a crimson blade burst through the door inches from Tanalia's face. She shrieked in terror, scrambling to her feet and staggering away from the door as sparks flew and the blade slowly moved upwards. Tanalia's eyes were wide and wild and she backed away from the door as fast as she could, staring silently at the blade. Leopold, meanwhile, was already hobbling towards the corvette and Reine looked at it, seeing Brentus and Wes walking down the ramp.

"What happened to my men?" Wes yelled. Nobody answered and his eyes fell on the lightsaber carving its way through the door. He swore and ran back into the ship, emerging moments later with his helmet on and a blaster rifle in his hands. Brentus ran down to Reine and Tanalia as Leopold limped up the ramp.

"Tanalia, get on the ship and make sure Trevin is ready to fly us out of here." Reine said, igniting her lightsaber. A green blade leapt forth with a hiss as she watched Drakaal's blade - it had nearly carved a circle into the door. Tanalia did not argue, sprinting for the ship and running up the ramp. Brentus drew one of the two lightsabers hanging at his belt and Wes knelt down on the ramp, pointing his rifle at the door. Then, a complete circle was formed in the door and the lightsaber was withdrawn. There was a moment of silence and Brentus ignited his own lightsaber, its emerald blade shining brilliantly. There was a crash as the circle was flung free, flying between Reine and Brentus and landing with a loud clang not far from the corvette.

Drakaal stood there silently, his saberstaff ignited as he scanned the hangar with his eyes. Without a word, he advanced, spinning his saber in a crimson flourish. Brentus and Reine raised their sabers from the low guard they had been holding, raising the weapons one-handed high above their heads before swiping it to their side and exposing their chests - the Makashi salute. Drakaal held his saberstaff in front of his chest with one hand, its twin blades extending out on each side of him with his knees bent and his left hand held low. Then, he spun the weapon, taking it in both hands and sprinting at Brentus.

Drakaal opened with a vicious overhead swing at Brentus. The Nautolan side-stepped and parried, redirecting the crimson blade to the left and then thrusting his green blade at Drakaal's chest. Drakaal swiftly brought the second blade of his saberstaff around to block, battering Brentus' blade aside and lunging forward. Meanwhile, Reine was circling around Drakaal, standing side-on with her left hand on her hip and her right hand pointing her saber at him. She waited as Drakaal attacked in a constant flurry, always moving, always on the attack. Brentus gracefully parried the first few blows but each time his parries grew clumsier and it was apparent that he was having more and more difficulty maintaining the fluid, precise Form II fighting style against the savage onslaught of Drakaal's assault. Finally, Brentus counter-attacked with a low cut. While Drakaal was able to block it, the low angle of the strike caused him to stop for a moment and that gave Brentus a chance to leap backwards several meters, changing his stance.

Immediately, blaster fire filled the air as Wes seized the opening, shooting two shots at the Sith. The first shot burned through his shoulder armour, leaving a deep gouge. He ducked under the second shot and then reached out with the Force, hurling a refueling pod in the hangar at the corvette. Reine immediately seized it with the Force before it could hit, wrestling briefly with Drakaal for control of the pod. Brentus, now holding his saber with both hands in a stance that covered his torso quite effectively, sprinted forth and slashed his saber at Drakaal's gut while he was distracted. At the same time, Wes fired another shot at him.

Drakaal released his grip on the fuel tank, sidestepping the blaster bolt as Brentus ran to where he had just been, causing the blaster bolt to graze his right arm. He grimaced but continued in his attack. As Brentus swung in a wide arc at Drakaal, he blocked with a powerful slash, forcing the two into a saberlock. He snarled as sparks flew from the clash of crimson and emerald, leaning in and using his body weight to force the blades ever closer to Brentus. Brentus grimaced, trying desperately to keep the blades away from his body - as he did so, Reine finally darted forth and thrust her saber at Drakaal's back. He shifted to the side and altered the angle of his saberstaff, the first blade forcing Brentus' own saber downwards and the second blade blocking her stab and adding her to the saberlock. He strained as both Jedi attempted to force the blades away from them and into Drakaal and he strained under the combined strength of both Jedi, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he gritted his teeth.

Then, in an instant he deactivated both of his blades and spun out of the way of Reine and Brentus, causing both Jedi to stumble for a moment as their sabers swiped through where he had been a second earlier, before they both leapt back away from Drakaal. Wes fired another three shots at Drakaal as they leapt clear - in an instant, he noticed the soldier firing at him and reactivated his saberstaff in a spin, blocking all three shots. Two of them were redirected into the hangar walls, leaving deep black burns, while the third hit Wes in the side of the head. He made no noise as he went down but for the thud of him hitting the ground.

Suddenly, two side doors opened in the hangar and a dozen of the station's black-clad security personnel filed out.

"There's the Sith! Open fire!" One yelled. All twelve raised their blasters and fired at Drakaal as Brentus and Reine sprinted for the corvette. Drakaal tensed his legs and then leapt high into the air, effortlessly dodging the first volley and landing on top of the corvette. Without delay, he began wildly slashing his saber at the hull, sending sparks flying as he carved deep gashes into its armour plating. He raised his saber up to thrust it deep into the hull but then suddenly stopped moving, twitching and straining. Reine and Brentus looked to the door of the hangar and saw Darth Vilanos leaning against a wall, breathing heavily with one hand outstretched towards Drakaal. Vilanos was accompanied by his five marines, who raised their blasters at Drakaal. He was lifted high into the air and flung into the wall like a ragdoll as all of the troopers fired at him, their shots all missing.

Reine and Brentus did not wait around to see what happened next, running onto the ramp of the ship as it began to close. As the ramp closed, Wes slid onto the ship and lay in a heap at the entrance. Brentus and Reine looked down at him as the ramp fully closed and the ship lifted off. Both Jedi deactivated their lightsabers.

"A pity. I quite liked him." Brentus said somberly, clipping his lightsaber to his belt. Reine looked up to see Tanalia at the top of the stairs ahead, smiling for a moment before her eyes fell on Wes and she gasped.

"Is he..." She asked, trailing off and widening her eyes.

"Maybe, but... Something feels wrong." She replied, kneeling and checking the trooper's pulse. Her eyes widened. "He's still alive. Help me get him to the medbay." Brentus grabbed Wes by his shoulders and Reine grabbed his legs, the pair hoisting him into the air and walking around the staircase, headed for the medical bay. Tanalia followed them uncertainly and they entered, the two Jedi laying down the trooper on a bed. Reine checked the carbon scoring on his helmet and saw it had carved a deep groove in the side. She removed his helmet and saw a small burn on his left temple - his helmet had protected him from the worst of the shot, but his head had still been clipped, knocking him unconscious. As she examined him, she felt an immense rage behind them as the ship flew clear of the station - Drakaal was still alive and very, very angry about being denied his quarry. Reine shook her head, pushing thoughts of what he was likely doing to Vilanos and the troopers on the station aside.

"Tanalia, get me a kolto injector from that drawer." She instructed. Tanalia nodded and walked to the drawer, retrieving an injector as instructed. Brentus turned and strode from the room as they worked, with Reine jabbing the injector into Wes' neck. Then, she shut her eyes and allowed the Force to flow through her, placing her hands on Wes' head. She channeled the restorative energy of the light side, rejuvenating herself and then allowing it to flow from her hands into Wes. She opened her eyes and backed away as his amber eyes fluttered open. Wes looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You got shot. By your own blaster bolt, grazed your head." Reine explained. Wes nodded, sitting up.

"If I wake up to two pretty girls every time, I should get shot more often." He said. Reine chuckled.

"By all means, please do. Now get some rest. Tanalia, come with me." She replied, turning away and leaving Wes to rest. She and Tanalia began walking towards the bridge but as they were halfway there, Reine heard the ship's holocommunicator buzzing from the back of the ship. They looked at it in confusion.

"Who could that be?" Tanalia asked.

"Doesn't matter. Go on, to the bridge." Reine instructed. Her Padawan reluctantly did so and Reine walked to the back room, answering. The hologram flickered into focus, revealing the upper body of Vilanos. He smiled at her, his face tired and drained. Voice ragged and breath unsteady, he spoke softly.

"Ah... hello, my dear." He paused for a cough of blood that spilled over his lip. "I'm glad to see you made... made it."

"With nearly everyone I came with, too." She said, frowning. "You look like you've seen better days. I felt something before... Immense rage. And death. Did you manage to defeat Drakaal?" Darth Vilanos chuckled slightly in response, before the laugh turned into a hacking cough.

"No... no, listen. Truly, I do not know who is behind Alderaan. It's likely a splinter rushing for war..." He said softly, squinting at her as his head drooped forward a little. "Ahh... if I'd been a few decades younger... Stay safe, Reine. I-" An armored fist slowly reached down into view, gripping Vilanos by the collar and hefting him up. The hologram flickered and sputtered violently for a moment before returning to focus - now, it showed two sets of feet. One of them was off the ground and kicking as a choking, gurgling sound met Reine's ears. She shut her eyes and cut off the transmission. Despite no longer seeing or hearing him, she could feel Vilanos as he passed on.

"You would have made a good Jedi." She murmured, walking to the bridge as she opened her eyes. There, she found Brentus and Tanalia standing over the pilot.

"Yeah, I get that, I get you want to leave now." Trevin said, scowling. "But calculating the hyperspace route takes time."

"As long as you get us away before Drakaal figures out that Master Bi left his starfighter there, I don't care how long you take." Reine said, sitting down at one of the chairs. Trevin looked at her briefly before looking back at the controls.

"See, somebody with patience. Not hard, is it? Thank you. Man, I am hungry." Trevin said.

"Then get yourself some food." Brentus muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, no can do, I gotta make sure none of the calculations go wrong, unless you'd like to accidentally fly into a black hole."

"I could make you a sandwich or something if it's really important." Tanalia offered.

"It ain't important and uh, no offense, but I'm not even sure you know how to boil water." Trevin replied, flicking a few switches and pushing a button. "And we are ready to go, grab onto something, ladies." The stars turned to white streaks across their field of view as they leapt into hyperspace.

* * *

**Author's Note: This is an adaptation of an ongoing roleplay forum I am engaged in and as such, not all of the characters and events in the story are my own. Credit goes to my fellow roleplayers Bahoogasmif, Loose Cannon Doccy, LOTRFOREVER and Wolftalen for the vast majority of the story that is not my own work. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed adapting it and stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be out at some point over the next few weeks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alderaan, orbit**

The Sith Lord strode onto the bridge of his flagship, stopping before the holoterminal as it flickered into life. Before him stood the hologram of his apprentice, Drakaal.

"Speak." The Sith Lord commanded from behind his helmet, his voice inhumanly deep.

_"It didn't go as planned, my lord. The Republic delegation, they escaped." _Drakaal said, his voice garbled and grainy over the transmitter.

"Witnesses?" The Sith Lord replied.

_"None but the delegation, my_ _lord." _Drakaal answered, keeping his head low.

"Excellent. Had you left any witnesses, I would have had to kill you, but with none alive... The Republic just committed an atrocity, I'm afraid."

_"Of course, my lord."_ Drakaal responded, looking up with a brow raised. _"The scrambler worked flawlessly. The logs on the communications console show only one outbound call in local space. The Republic knows nothing."_

"As always, you have not disappointed me. For the time being, you have no further orders. Go, leave the station and revel in your success. Your next goal will be revealed in due time." The Sith commanded.

_"As you will it, my lord." _Drakaal answered, bowing his head. The Sith cut off the transmission and turned away, gazing over the crew and at out the ship's viewport. He folded his arms behind his back as he watched the blue orb of Alderaan spin lazily by, the planet below wreathing his bridge in blue light and casting the crew as black silhouettes all around him. He watched as a constant stream of dropships came and went from the belly of his ship to the planet, fueling his ground war as his men set fire to the divided world. Suddenly, he whipped his head around to the communications officer.

"Hail a news agency in republic space and transmit the latest files." He ordered.

"Yes, milord." The officer answered swiftly. The Sith nodded in satisfaction and slowly went back to Alderaan. Soon, the entire Republic would know the extent of his destruction and they would be ablaze with scandal and hatred. As he had learned long ago, a war demanded a travesty.

* * *

**Coruscant, the Senate Building**

In the Senate chambers, a holovid was being projected for all of the assembled senators and representatives. The huge, round chamber could see the video from every angle, and the images going through their cycle left senators mouth's agape. Dozens of dismembered bodies in a hangar - Imperial, Republic and the neutral crew of the station, scattered about in the aftermath of some battle. The camera kept moving as the person recording moved deeper into the station, panning over the still bodies as the lighting flickered. Then, the camera stopped briefly as it fell on the form of an older man lying against a wall, clad in dark robes with his head twisted at an unnatural angle. The camera moved closer and it quickly became evident that the dead man was Darth Vilanos.

"By the Emperor..." Came a quiet voice from behind the camera. "This... this is scout commander Lieem, of the Imperial reclamation service." The camera turned to show a middle aged man in the grey uniform of an officer, a team of soldiers behind him. "The Republic has much to answer for here." He said, turning the camera back to Vilanos. Moments later, the recording cut out and in an instant, the Senate erupted into shouts.

"What have the Jedi done?" One senator cried. "They've started a war we are not prepared for!"

"Aye, they've started a war. And more's the pity they didn't do it sooner! Does nobody remember the Sacking of Coruscant?" Another senator roared. "The way I see it, this gets us out of the treaty and finally gets rid of all the lies that have been exchanged!"

"You would condemn billions to die?" A female Togruta senator exclaimed. "Just because of a war in the past?"

"If that's what it takes to restore the Republic to its former glory, then so be it!" The second senator replied.

"Where are the Jedi responsible for this?" Another senator asked. "We should thank them for this great service!"

"Thank them with a firing squad, you mean! The Dark Council will want blood and we cannot spare any save that of those who did this!" The first senator cried.

_"SILENCE!" _Came a long, deep bellow. Supreme Chancellor Dorian Janarus stood tall on his podium in the center of the chamber, looking down at the assembly. Still, shouts and whispers permeated the chamber. "I SAID QUIET! I WILL HAVE ORDER IN THE SENATE!" He yelled. Gradually, the commotion died down and all eyes fell on him.

"I have already convened with the Jedi Council. They assure me that these were not the actions of one of their own, but of a rogue Sith." Dorian explained calmly.

"A likely story!" The first senator barked.

"SILENCE!" Dorian snapped. "When have any of you ever known the Jedi to lie on such matters? What would their goal be in slaughtering a station filled with diplomats? What do the Jedi, our allies, stand to gain by betraying the Republic and starting a war they know we are not prepared for?"

"I say we ask the Jedi delegates themselves to testify." The Togruta senator said calmly, her platform floating higher as she looked at the Chancellor. "Let them speak the truth of the matter, rather than hiding behind their High Council."

"A squad of commandos is already on standby to escort them here, once they arrive." Dorian replied with a sigh.

"Even if they are truthful, what does that gain us?" The Umbaran senator mused. "Even if the Council is honest, and even if the good senators assembled are convinced of this, the Dark Council will want blood. They've never concerned themselves with the truth, only vengeance. I propose that we give these Jedi to the Imperials - what are a few lives next to the fate of the entire Republic?"

"Until we've heard their testimony," Dorian began, fixing the Umbaran with a hard stare. "We will not know what to do. In the meantime, we shall exercise _patience._"

* * *

"Listen here, I tell you, what happened there was as good as a declaration of war!" Leopold insisted. He had been ranting about Drakaal's attack for the entire time they were in hyperspace and Reine was just about at her wit's end. "I've been in this galaxy for many a year and seen many wars declared..."

"Have you?" Tanalia mumbled, her chin resting in her hand and her eyes droopy as she leaned back on her chair. She yawned.

"And this was one of the most profound! We need to warn the Republic that there is a war on!" He insisted.

"Senator, we've already told you what is happening." Brentus said, his eye twitching.

"So many times." Trevin muttered. "How many different variations on 'the guy worked alone' can you two think of?"

"Yes, but this is immediately following an assault on Alderaan, a core world! If that isn't war, then what is?" Leopold countered. "Back in my day, this wasn't such a controversial thing, we understood what was what and how to respond to wanton aggression. Tingel Arm campaign? We knew that was a war the second the Empire retook Korriban! You youngsters and your diplomacy, pah!"

"Will somebody please get this old man off of my bridge?" Trevin snapped. Reine nodded in agreement, looking at Leopold with disdain.

"We're nearly at Coruscant, Senator. The Senate will no doubt want you to speak, how about you go and make yourself look presentable? You can hardly explain the Sith's wanton aggression when it's left you looking so ruffled." She said softly. Leopold huffed, standing up.

"No, I suppose not. Disrespectful young..." He replied, limping out and muttering under his breath. When he was gone, Reine turned her gaze back to Trevin.

"Your bridge? I was under the understanding that this was my ship. Ergo, my bridge. You're just the pilot." She teased, smiling softly.

"Ah, you know what I mean. Just the pilot..." He muttered, fiddling with the controls. "Look at me, I'm the big awesome Jedi, I can walk all over everyone."

"You finished?" Reine asked.

"Not yet, no. I coulda been a Jedi, you know." Trevin said. Reine raised an eyebrow and he glanced at her. "What? I'm force-sensitive!"

"Really?" Tanalia asked, her voice halfway between genuine curiosity and sarcasm.

"Well, uh... A little... I can... Listen, I have a midichlorian count!" He insisted, looking back around at them.

"So do all living things." Brentus pointed out.

"Oh, hey, look at that, we're coming out of hyperspace." Trevin declared with a nervous laugh. As he spoke, the blue vortex on their viewport faded, white streaks replacing it before they shrunk down to white dots. Ahead, the orange lighting of Coruscant greeted them.

"Dock on that station there, the senator and captain can catch a shuttle to the surface." Reine instructed, pointing at one of the many space stations floating around the Republic capital. Trevin nodded and guided their ship towards the station.

"Aren't we going down with them?" Tanalia asked, giving Reine a quizzical look. Reine shook her head.

"Master Bi spoke to the Council after we left, we're to head straight to Tython in case Sith propaganda arrived before us." She answered. Trevin guided them into the station's hangar. The ship's landing gear extended and it shook briefly as it touched down. "Come on, let's go see the captain and senator off."

The two Jedi women rose to their feet and walked to the ship's exit. The ramp was slowly lowering and as it did, Wes stood alongside Leopold, who had since straightened up and was wearing an immaculate black uniform. Wes was still wearing his armour, but his helmet and blaster were under his arm. The trooper nodded at Reine and Tanalia.

"I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Wes said.

"Indeed." Reine nodded. Tanalia gave a weak half-smile.

"It was nice... To meet you." She said softly.

"I hope we meet again." Wes replied with a wink as the ramp hit the deck of the hangar. Instantly, there was a yell from outside and two Republic troopers wearing white body armour with green markings stormed up, blasters raised.

"Drop your weapon!" One of them yelled at Wes, aiming his blaster.

"I'm Republic military too, you moron!" Wes replied.

"I said drop it!" The trooper barked. With a scowl, he dropped his blaster and helmet while the other man began frisking Leopold.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Leopold declared angrily. "I am a senator, damn you!" After a moment, the trooper backed away and they both aimed their blasters at Reine and Tanalia.

"Clear!" One of them yelled. Footsteps sounded and four more troopers strode up, three behind the leading one. The one in the lead held his blaster at ease.

"Sorry about that, senator. Can't be too careful." He said. He holstered his blaster and removed his helmet, revealing short brown hair, brown eyes and a five o'clock shadow.

"What's going on here? You've no right to come aboard a Jedi ship without permission." Reine asked, her voice icy.

"I'm sergeant-major Uravic Bobran. My squad and I have been tasked by the Supreme Chancellor with escorting all of you directly to the senate." He replied, stretching out a hand towards Leopold. Leopold scowled but took it reluctantly. "Search the ship." He ordered. Two of his men passed by Reine, who scowled but let them pass. Then, he looked at Reine. "I'm sure you and your apprentice have many questions, but I can't answer any until we get the all-clear. Please, don't resist."

"You don't need to bring me, I was just the security." Wes protested. From the bridge, there came the sound of yelling followed by a crash. Uravic looked past Wes curiously for a moment, before looking back at the captain.

"Orders are orders, I'm afraid." He replied. Moments later, the two troopers he'd sent to the bridge returned, one of them dragging Trevin by the wrist while Brentus quietly followed. Trevin was sporting a bruised jaw and a scowl as he tugged against the iron grip holding him in place.

"He tried to resist, sir." The trooper explained.

"What's going on? I'm just the pilot!" Trevin yelled, his voice shaky. Reine looked between the pilot and the sergeant-major, sighing.

"I don't suppose we have much choice in the matter, do we?" She asked.

"No, ma'am." Uravic responded, nodding at his men. "Put them all in binders, except for the senator."

"Is that really necessary? We weren't going to resist." Reine protested. Uravic shrugged.

"One of you already did and we need to take precautions." He responded. His men pulled out sets of binders and Tanalia looked at them apprehensively as they buzzed with electricity, before looking to Reine.

"Master, I don't want to be put in those." She begged. Reine put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. It's just until we reach the Senate, you won't even notice them." She assured Tanalia, her voice low and soothing. Tanalia took a deep breath, nodding nervously as one of the troopers grabbed her wrist and slapped the binders on her.

"Hey, let me go!" Trevin yelled as he too was put in binders. A set was put on Brentus, who remained silent. Wes scowled, but presented his wrists for the commandos.

"Master, I don't feel good." Tanalia said, blinking rapidly and falling to her knees. Brentus breathed heavily and grimaced, but otherwise seemed unaffected. Reine frowned but as the binders were put on her and a current began flowing through her wrists, she understood - she felt a tingling sensation and found herself struggling to focus on anything.

"They're specially designed for Jedi. They disrupt your connection to the Force. Sorry." Uravic explained.

"Oh, no problem. This isn't immensely uncomfortable at all. Can someone help Tanalia?" Reine replied, blinking and scowling. One of the troopers bent down and helped Tanalia to her feet, putting an arm around her.

"Alright, here's how it's going to go." Uravic declared, putting his helmet back on and folding his arms behind his back. "We'll escort you through the station to another hangar, where an empty civilian transport is waiting for you. From there, we fly straight to the Senate building. Senator Ebner, if anyone asks you anything, they're Imperial deserters being taken for questioning."

"Very well." Leopold responded reluctantly.

"Quite a plan." Reine muttered.

"Now, Senator, there may be a chance your life is in danger. There's already debate on whether or not to go to war and some of your political opponents may use this as an excuse to target you, so stay close and keep your head down." Uravic continued.

"My life in danger? Here, on Coruscant? Preposterous!" Leopold cried. "It's inconceivable!"

"Just do as I say, please." Uravic replied with a sigh. He then nodded to his troopers before drawing his blaster, turning and marching down the ramp. They all followed, walking through the hangar.

"Seems like a lot of effort to just escort officials to the Senate. Commandos, binders, a secret transport, it's all very elaborate. Almost like you're expecting trouble." Wes mused.

"We always expect the worst." One of the troopers, a bulky Mon Calamari who wore no helmet, answered.

"Cut the chatter. We need to be quick, and quiet." Uravic ordered. From there, they walked in silence, making their way hastily through the station. Fortunately, the station was relatively devoid of life, only a handful of crew and security troopers roaming the halls. Nobody stopped them and finally, they entered another hangar. This hangar was completely abandoned except for a single derelict old freighter, rust coating its beige hull.

"You're taking us down in that thing? You might as well toss us out an airlock." Wes said bitterly.

"It's secure, believe me. Nobody's going to suspect a piece of crap like that is housing the people who massacred an Imperial delegation." Uravic answered.

"We didn't kill anyone, sergeant-major." Brentus interjected sternly.

"Right, so you say. Which is why we _aren't _just tossing you out an airlock." Uravic replied with a nod. Then, he walked towards the freighter, boarding it. Leopold followed first, hobbling after the commando. Then, Reine and the rest of them followed. Reine gave Tanalia a glance - the girl was leaning heavily on the trooper helping her, sweating profusely and shaking.

"This really isn't necessary." Reine protested as they stepped on to the dark, musty ship. "Please, take the binders off my apprentice at least, she's about to pass out."

"It's... Ok... I can... Take it..." Tanalia slurred, breathing heavily. Uravic looked at the young woman, his helmet betraying no emotion as he stood silently for a moment.

"Take them off her." He said softly. Tanalia looked up gratefully as one of the commandos walked up to her and removed the cuffs. The man holding onto her guided her to a seat and the second his grip slackened, she collapsed onto it, curling up into a ball.

"Hey, uh, while we're taking people's cuffs off to ease their discomfort-" Trevin began hopefully.

"No."

"Son of a bitch." Trevin grumbled, stomping to a seat and sitting down. One of the troopers walked through to the cockpit, while Uravic stood at the ready. His men sat down while Leopold straightened his uniform and stomped to the cockpit in a huff.

"Reine, meditate with me." Brentus said, walking to a corner and falling to his knees. Gently, he tried to pull his hands apart - there was a jolt from the cuffs and he allowed them to join once more. Reine nodded and joined him, sinking to her knees and shutting her eyes. She tried to clear her head, but the buzzing, the tingling from those cuffs... She scowled, unable to focus. She heard a chuckle next to her as the ship took off.

"This is just like when you were my Padawan."

"Why's that?" Reine asked, furrowing her brow and attempting to ignore the sensation from the binders.

"Unable to focus, always with your mind on physical sensations rather than the Force." He answered. Reine opened her eyes and shook the cuffs angrily.

"This is hardly the same." She replied. Brentus smiled, though his eyes twitched - clearly, the binders were having an effect on him, although he hid it well.

"Perhaps. Let us focus on our meditation now." He said, breathing deeply. She shut her eyes again and the pair continued in their efforts to meditate as the ship shook and creaked all the way down to the Senate building. Finally, it touched down and Reine opened her eyes, standing with Brentus. Tanalia was now sitting up - her skin was even paler than usual, but she seemed to have recovered. There was a loud whining creak as the ship's ramp was extended and instantly, Uravic marched down, blaster at the ready.

"All clear! Bring them down!" He yelled. Reine walked forward with Brentus as Leopold and the trooper from the cockpit emerged. The group filed out of the freighter, Tanalia unrestrained at the rear but flanked by a pair of commandos. They were on a small landing platform directly attached to the Senate building by a narrow walkway - the sky was orange as the sun set and above was a constant stream of speeders and small ships buzzing about. Skyscrapers towered high all around them and below, the sprawling cityscape of Coruscant seemed to stretch for eternity.

"Come on, we're almost there." Uravic said. "Let's get moving before the media finds us." With that, he continued marching down, blaster primed as they followed and the immense mushroom shaped building drew closer. They reached the entrance, were cleared by security and then found themselves in one of the many antechambers of Grand Convocation Chamber, where the Senate was currently in assembly. Uravic poked his head through the door. Even from the antechamber, Reine could hear what was being said within.

"This atrocity demanded the attention of the Dark Council, and the Emperor. Imperial justice should be dealt to these Jedi, not the Republic's pandering senate. Darth Mortis himself has requested you hand these Jedi over to Imperial forces immediately." Came a high-pitched, nasal male voice.

"Look's like an Imperial diplomat is here. And they're actually letting him talk..." Uravic muttered. He stepped back into the chamber and removed his helmet, a look of disgust on his face. "Alright, uncuff them. No need for that pretense anymore. Congratulations, Jedi, you're being blamed for the massacre."

"Of course we are." Reine said, sighing as the Mon Calamari commando removed her bindings. She massaged her wrists and felt a wave of relief and relaxation wash over her as she was once more able to focus. "Honestly, with the landing of Imperial troops on Alderaan, you'd think we'd have the right to be at_ their_ throats. Let's go and face the limelight, shall we?"

"Master... I don't think I want to have thousands of senators staring at us." Tanalia whispered, her face deathly pale. Reine smiled at Tanalia.

"Don't worry, they won't be paying much attention to you." Reine assured her. "You're just my Padawan, as far as they're concerned."

"Do I get comforting words too? Because I am just the pilot and I am peeing my pants right now." Trevin said, trembling.

"You'll be alright because nobody cares." Wes offered, rolling his shoulders around and scowling now that his hands were free.

"Thank you so much for those kind words."

"That's enough banter." Brentus interrupted. "This is a very serious matter, let's go in and try to avoid being executed."

"Good luck, Jedi. We'll be here ready to step in if anything goes wrong." Uravic said.

"Thank you." Reine replied. Without waiting, she stepped out onto the platform that was ready for them - Leopold, Brentus, Tanalia, Trevin and Wes all followed her. A hush fell over the immense chamber as thousands of eyes fell on them and their platform floated upwards.

"And the culprits arrive! Not even in cuffs I see! Need I further evidence to support an Imperial trial over this farce?" Came the nasal voice from before. Reine looked up to see a platform floating next to the Chancellor's podium, with a grey-clad, pale and skinny Imperial man standing tall, sneering down at them. Her eye twitched at his mention of cuffs, given the intense discomfort she had just endured.

"No cuffs are needed because no crime was committed!" She declared as their platform floated higher. "It is not the Jedi way to murder delegates in neutral ground halfway through a negotiation. Such an action would mean war." Reine laboured under no delusions of the Imperial believing her, but perhaps the Senate would be convinced, especially with Senator Ebner behind her.

"So it's happenstance that you are the only survivors, then? A likely story, I'm sure." The imperial sneered at the group, disgust plain on his face like they were bugs he'd just discovered under a rock. "Purely coincidental that every member of our delegation lies dead, including a dark council member?"

"Not every member." Reine answered. "There was another Sith among your delegation. His name is Drakaal, if I remember correctly. He is the one who murdered Darth Vilanos and his men. I assure you, we had no part in their deaths."

"We lost two good men ourselves." Wes said, stepping forward and standing beside Reine as he addressed the Senate. "Jon and Cade, their names were. Dutiful, brave, loyal soldiers. They loved the Republic almost as much as they loved their families. And I suppose Drakaal killed everyone else on that station, too." He continued. Reine smiled - the captain was more shrewd than she had first reckoned. There were murmurs throughout the Senate. Meanwhile, the Imperial simply smirked, giving off a slight exhalation that sounded almost like a laugh.

"Inventing people now, are we? Shuttle records regarding personnel and freight from the empire are quite thorough, Jedi. Our reclamation service found the shuttle log from Darth Vilanos' vehicle and no such name was found. All personnel aboard that shuttle are accounted for... and quite dead."

"No, that's not... Drakaal was there! He almost killed us!" Reine said, caught off-guard. "The station's security footage! It-"

"Was erased!" The Imperial crowed. "The Reclamation Service already searched their surveillance footage and it was completely erased, no doubt so you could lend support to this 'Drakaal' story?"

"I've met many people in the galaxy, with many talents. Some of those talents include the ability to hack into and alter Imperial records." Brentus interjected, frowning at the Imperial.

"Given the time needed to bypass the level of security on a council members vehicle, it is highly unlikely. The only one able to bypass such encryption without taking days is a council member." The imperial made a dismissive gesture and turned to the Senate. "Once again I must express the urgency such claims are being held to, senators of the Republic. Let Imperial tribunals decide their fate, and much anger would be avoided from the Empire."

"With all due respect, this is not a matter for Imperial tribunals to decide." Chancellor Janarus said. "Here in the Republic, we have a different approach to your Imperial 'guilty until proven innocent' philosophy. They'll receive a fair trial, in due time." He continued. He paused for a moment, frowned and then looked down. "Senator Ebner, you've been awfully quiet. What have you got to say on the matter? You were there, after all."

"Well, it's... Things happened very fast and..." Leopold said, hesitating and glancing at Reine. "I'm not entirely certain as to what transpired, but this Sith, Drakaal, _was_ there. He nearly killed us all and _he _is the one who violated the treaty. These murders are not the fault of the Jedi." Immediately, a ripple of whispers spread throughout the chamber - Leopold Ebner was a respected senator, and a notorious warmonger, Empire hater and a vocal opponent of the Treaty of Coruscant. Reine smiled as the same realisation hit the Senate that she had thought would happen - if he was denying allegations that would lead to war with the Empire, then something was definitely not right about the claims.

The Imperial fixed the Chancellor with a long, steely gaze. His uniform was so pristine it practically sparkled and he stood stock still as he held that gaze for a painfully long time.

"Clearly you will not negotiate on this matter. The Dark Council will be informed of your... Regrettable lack of foresight." He said, his voice low. He pushed a button and his platform floated down to the floor of the chamber, depositing him and his guards. Without another word, they left. When they were gone, the Chancellor gave a long sigh.

"This session is over. We shall reconvene tomorrow to discuss matters further." He declared. Slowly, the mass of senators floated to the various exits. Reine turned to the others as their pod floated back to where they had entered and sighed.

"That went horribly." Tanalia said as they landed.

"I think it went pretty well." Brentus replied. Reine nodded.

"Trust me, Tanalia, that couldn't have gone better for us. We're lucky the Chancellor didn't just turn us over to the Imperials and wash his hands of the whole situation." She explained. The group entered the antechamber and were stopped by Uravic and his commandos.

"My apologies, but we're to escort you to see the Chancellor." He said.

"Ah, excellent. It's only right that the Chancellor should debrief me personally!" Leopold declared proudly.

"I was talking to the Jedi. The Chancellor only wants to speak with them." Uravic replied. Leopold huffed and straightened his tunic, scowling at the commando.

"Well, alright, then. I shall confer with my friends in the senate." He growled, stomping off. Uravic looked to Wes and Trevin next.

"The two of you aren't required either, I'm afraid."

"Fine by me." Wes responded.

"What am I supposed to do?" Trevin asked. "I work for these Jedi, I can't make a living if they're executed or-"

"Shut up, man." Wes said, putting an arm around Trevin's shoulder. "Come on, let's get a drink." The two walked away, Trevin attempting to shrug Wes' arm off to no avail as they went. Uravic waited a moment, then gestured for the Jedi to follow.

"Right this way." He said. He and his commandos escorted them through the halls of the Senate building. After a while, they found themselves in the Chancellor's office - a lavish chamber with a view of the breathtaking Coruscant skyline as the setting sun bathed it in a golden glow. At his desk, the Supreme Chancellor sat, with a tall, slim Jedi knight standing behind him. The Jedi was muscular, with almond-shaped amber eyes, pale skin, bushy sideburns and a shock of untidy black hair. The Chancellor, by comparison, was old and weathered, his tan face set with numerous hard lines. His white hair was swept back and his beard was well-groomed, but the effort he made to maintain his appearance did nothing to hide his age.

"Thank you for making sure they didn't run off back to Tython, sergeant-major." Chancellor Janarus said.

"Just doing my job, your excellency." Uravic said. Janarus nodded.

"Thank you, Uravic. That will be all." He replied. Uravic nodded and backed out of the room, leaving the Jedi alone with the Chancellor.

"What did you wish to discuss, Chancellor Janarus?" Reine asked. He stood up, sighing.

"The disastrous negotiations, for a start. What happened there? You didn't actually kill those people, did you?"

"Of course we didn't. It's not the Jedi way." Brentus replied. "There was a Sith there who I suspect wasn't supposed to be. Drakaal was his name."

"So you mentioned in the session." The Chancellor answered. "But until proof of this Sith manifests, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do to prove that to the Empire."

"The only functioning ship aboard that hangar was my starfighter. He must have left on it." Brentus mused. The Chancellor raised an eyebrow.

"Did you have a tracker on it?" He asked.

"No. But a Jedi starfighter isn't a common sight in starports. I've already put out the word to my contacts on neutral worlds to watch out for it, if you can get the SIS to do the same then we stand a good chance of tracking him down." Brentus replied. The Chancellor nodded.

"I'll make the arrangements. You should remain ready to act if he's spotted." He said.

"I agree."

"Is there something you wanted to ask of us, Chancellor Janarus?" Reine asked. He nodded.

"Yes. Master Bi will remain at the ready to hunt down this Drakaal character, but I want you and your apprentice to go to the source of the problem. Alongside Gilad here, and Master Carmila, I want you and your apprentice to go to Alderaan with a battalion to intervene and find out who's leading the attack. If they're truly acting on their own then the Empire has no case against us intervening and if not, it'll force them to show their hand." He ordered. The Jedi, Gilad, stepped forward. Reine looked at him, then back to the Chancellor.

"With all due respect, I don't think that's wise. I thought we were trying to avoid a war?"

"We are. And so is the Empire. I won't allow them to advance on our systems in this manner without resistance and if the Empire truly wanted a war right now, they would have already invaded actual Republic worlds." He replied firmly. "If nothing else, this will force the 'rogue' Sith to retreat."

"Don't worry." Gilad spoke for the first time, his voice soft and reassuring. "I've already been briefed with Master Carmila and the commander of the battalion, we know how to respond if the Empire actually comes to Alderaan. We'll be able to prevent a war, I have no doubt."

"That will be all. You all have your orders. Carry them out. And may the Force be with you." Chancellor Janarus finished, sitting down and waving them out.


End file.
